1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a map data update device that updates map data on the basis of movement history data of a moving body.
2. Background Art
In general, a navigation apparatus uses map data for executing processing of route search and route guidance. This map data is generated to reflect an actual road. Hence, if a new road is constructed, it is desirable to generate a corresponding new road and register the new road in the map data.
Map data typically includes information relating to a node corresponding to a point at which a plurality of roads intersect with each other, such as an intersection or a branch; and information relating to a road link corresponding to a road, a lane, etc. The information relating to the road link includes information on a road type and information on a road attribute. The information on the road type indicates a type, for example, whether the actual road corresponding to the road link is an expressway or a local road. The information on the road attribute indicates various attributes (the number of lanes, road width, traffic regulation, etc.) relating to the road link.
Hence, when a new road is generated in the map data, it is required to generate respective pieces of information on the node and road link in accordance with the road shape, and to generate the road type and road attribute as information associated with the road link. To address this, there has been suggested a technology that automatically generates a new road on the basis of a traveling locus in a section in which an existing road is not present in map data (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-286258 (“PTL 1”) and Japanese Patent No. 4887468 (“PTL 2”)).
PTL 1 describes that a traveling locus from separation from an existing road on map data until return to another existing road is automatically added as a new road to the map data. Also, PTL 1 describes that, if an expressway and a local road exist vertically in parallel as existing roads at the return point, the average speed in traveling on a new road is compared with the average speed in traveling on an existing road, to determine with which existing road the new road is connected.
PTL 2 describes that an on-road section corresponding to a road existing on map data and an off-road section corresponding to a road not existing on the map data are determined on the basis of traveling loci and the map data, and a new road is generated on the basis of a traveling locus in the determined off-road section. Also, PTL 2 describes that, if an on-road section is sandwiched between two off-road sections, a single new road is generated by integrating the two off-road sections and the on-road section.
Also, there has been suggested a technology that compares a road link in map data on which a vehicle currently travels, with a previously specified link, judges whether the vehicle is branched from or merged to a trunk road having a predetermined scale or larger, and stores a road link series which changes from the branch to merge, as a traveling locus (for example, see Japanese Patent No. 3496487).